100 years of Elgar in Sussex
Between 1917 and 1920, the composer Edward Elgar spent as much time as possible at his rented cottage, Brinkwells, which nestles in the tranquil hills above Fittleworth. In this haven, away from the hurly-burly of London, he composed the late great works of his maturity: the violin sonata, string quartet, piano quintet and cello concerto.
In June 2017, we commemorated the Elgars' arrival in Sussex with 'an unforgettable weekend' (Elgar Society News) presenting his chamber works in the very place they were composed, with performances, talks and walks illustrating the crucial connections between music and place. The festival took place over Elgar's birthday weekend, the first weekend of June, in a series of unique indoor and outdoor venues in and around Fittleworth, resonant with Elgarian associations.
In June 2017, we commemorated the Elgars' arrival in Sussex with 'an unforgettable weekend' (Elgar Society News) presenting his chamber works in the very place they were composed, with performances, talks and walks illustrating the crucial connections between music and place. The festival took place over Elgar's birthday weekend, the first weekend of June, in a series of unique indoor and outdoor venues in and around Fittleworth, resonant with Elgarian associations.
May 2 (1917) . . . A. & C. to Fittleworth to see a cottage – a 2-seater met them but after arriving at Inn preferred to walk – Lovely place, sat in lovely wood & heard a nightingale, turtoo doves, & many other dicksies [birds] & saw lizards & heard Cuckoo first time. Also saw swallows – lovely hot hot day. A. much perplexed as cottage is so very cottagy but large studio & lovely view & woods – dear place. Finally took it for June. Lovely walk thro' woods & by primroses to Station . . .
(Alice Elgar, diary) |
I rise about seven - work till 8.15 - then dress. Breakfast - pipe (I smoke again all day!) work till 12.30 lunch (pipe) - rest an hour - work till tea (pipe) - then work till 7.30 - change - dinner at 8. Bed at 10.0 - every day practically goes thus - of course instead of work, which means carpentering of the roughest kind, sawing wood, repairing furniture etc etc and weeding, we go lovely walks - the loveliest walks really - ...
(Elgar, letter to Alice Stuart Wortley, 12 May 1918) |
At the top of the hill, looming on the sky-line, was at first sight what I took to be a statue, but as we drew nearer I saw it was a tall woodman leaning a little forward upon an axe with a very long handle....It was Sir Edward himself, who had come to the top of the hill to meet me, and placed himself there leaning on his axe and fitting in exactly with the surroundings. He did these things without knowing it, by pure instinct.
(W.H. Reed, Elgar as I knew him) |
Pictures: A Sussex Granary, by Rex Vicat Cole, Worthing Museum and Art Gallery; Roundel of Elgar, Elgar Society; Photos of Elgar: Elgar Birthplace Museum via Elgar, Vicat Cole and the Ghosts of Brinkwells, Carol Fitzgerald and Brian W. Harvey (Phillimore & Co. Ltd)